This rare and privately pressed set of five 12-inch 33 RPM LP's contain impromptu recordings of jam sessions and informal concerts featuring jazz pianist Edwin "Squirrel" Ashcraft and a star-studded cast of jazz musicians, and spanning a period of about 30 years, from the 1930's through the 1960's. Many of the recordings, especially the early ones, were made at Ashcraft's own home in Evanston, Illinois. The later ones were from various locations and venues. The five records are numbered MIS-1 through MIS-5 (MIS = "More Informal Sessions"), but, as explained below, they are not arranged chronologically by recording date. 

Even the recordings from the 1930's were apparently not released in this LP format until the 1960's. Most of the sleeve notes are credited to Hank O'Neal, a record producer who was only born in 1940 and was most active during the 1960's and later. One of O'Neal's footnotes says, in part, that these records "are being distributed to the men who made the music and Squirrel's many friends", suggesting a somewhat limited pressing. Discogs - which lists only one of the records (MIS-3, with an estimated release date of 1967) - has, at the time of listing, never sold a copy and currently has none for sale. Did I already mention that it's a rare set?

All I really know about them is the information provided in the sleeve notes, and I specifically don't know whether this is a complete set, or whether more records were issued after MIS-5. As a provenance footnote, all five were found together in southern Maine, and they all have ownership stamps or stickers in the name of Edward T. Barnard, of North Branford, Connecticut. Since these records were originally given to the original musicians and their friends, it can be loosely presumed that Barnard (whose son and daughter both live in Maine) was at one time a member of Ashcraft's inner circle. I have not seen any evidence that he was ever one of the musicians.

So let's go through the records one by one, and I'll summarize the sleeve notes the best I can:

MIS-1 -- "More Informal Sessions." The title refers back to a series of records issued in the 1950's under the title "Informal Sessions at Squirrel's." This LP was recorded in May, 1966, at Squirrel's house in Washington, DC, with the musicians including Jimmy and Marian McPartland, Tommy Gwaltney, Dick Barrett and Anne Read. The date etched into the runoff area is 11/1/66, along with the initials "JRB." The record is sleeved in a plain white cover with the sleeve notes printed on a pasted-on label on one side.

MIS-2 -- "An Informal Session for Squirrel." This LP was recorded in October, 1966, also at Squirrel's house in Washington, with the musicians including Jimmy McPartland, Tommy Gwaltney, Steve Jordan, Charlie Butler, Eddie Phyfe, Bill Potts and Billie Taylor. Similar to MIS-1, the record is sleeved in a plain white cover with the sleeve notes printed on a taped-on label on one side. The date etched into the runoff area is 11/1/66, also with the initials "JRB." 

MIS-3 -- "Informal Sessions at Squirrel's, The Early Years, Volume 1." This one contains impromptu recordings made at Squirrel's home in Evanston, Illinois. In addition to Squirrel, musicians mentioned by name in the sleeve notes include Jimmy McPartland, Joe Rushton, Bud Wilson, Ormond Downes, Howard Kennedy, Spence Clark, Bob Haggart, Bill Priestley, Rosy McHargue and Bobby Hackett, with vocals on two tracks by Johnny Mercer. Although the album's release date is not stated, the tracks that are dated in the sleeve notes were recorded in 1938, 1939 and 1940, and the sleeve notes are revised from an article originally published in 1947. The date etched into the runoff area is 8/10/67, along with the initials "BJW." 

MIS-4 -- "Informal Sessions at Squirrel's, The Early Years, Volume 2." These recordings were made in Evanston in the summer of 1937, and the two featured musicians are Bob Zurke and Joe Rushton. The sleeve notes are written by Squirrel Ashcraft himself, with a footnote by Hank O'Neal. The date etched into the runoff area is 2-68. 

MIS-5 -- "More Informal Sessions 1969." Most of the tracks were recorded in 1969 in various locations in New York City, but also one each in Washington, DC (Squirrel's apartment) and Manassas, Virginia. There are also a few older tracks, including one from Evanston (1947); two from Bill Priestley's house in Lake Forest, Illinois (late 1950's); and another one from Washington (1965). The musicians - many of them listed on the front cover and pictured on the inside - include Jimmy and Marian McPartland, Eddie Condon, Yank Lawson, Billy Butterfield, Steve Jordan, Bobby Hackett, Don Ewell, Doc Evans, Bud Freeman, Herb Sanford, Bill Priestley, Wild Bill Davison, and Ann Read. The date etched into the runoff area is 6-69. 

The records all look to be in about VG+ or better condition, still nice and shiny, but with a few visible surface scuffs and scratches (the worst ones being on Side 2 of MIS-2). They all play through fine on my old Bang and Olufsen turntable, with only one skip or jump that I noticed, but with varying degrees of background noise, most of which I have to believe has been transferred from the original recordings or pressings. The skip (forwards) is on the first track of side two of MIS-3, but it doesn't seem to line up with any visible scratch or blister or foreign body on the record surface. There are also passages that sound swishy or crackly beyond any possible imperfections of the vinyl itself, especially when compared to the lighter static in the gaps between tracks. Because of variations in tracking ability, filtering technology and needle weights, I can offer no guarantees as to how well they will play on your equipment.

The  covers are in used but functional condition, with typical light surface rubbing and edge wear, as well as the aforementioned ownership stamps and stickers, and various ink inscriptions around the sleeve notes. And a few of the seams are starting to split at either the middle or the open end. They all come with plain white inner sleeves.

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